Method and apparatus for vulcanizing strip material



G. D. MARCY 2,418,976 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VULGANIZING STRIP MATERIAL April 15, 1947.

Filed Nov. 16, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l G. D. MARCY 2,418,976 OD AND APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZING STRIP MATERIAL April 15, 1947.

METH

Filed Nov. 16, 1944 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 favenioaiawosvema fi. May,

y )4 w wwnqys Patented Apr. 15, 1947 METHOD AND ING Grosvenor D.

assignor to pany, Cambridge, Massachusetts Application 8 Claims.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for vulcanizing strip material under press-ure and particularly concerns an improvement; in the method and apparatus disclosed in Patent 2179;443 to John M. Bierer. That patent illustrates and describes the continuous vulcanizing or belting constructed of several plies of fabric covered on both faces and both edges with rubher, and the method employed consists in starting with uncured beltingof a width greater than the width of the cured belting and feeding such uncured; belting into a continuous trough-like molding channel having a bottom wall and side walls and of a width corresponding to the finished belting to be produced. The relatively wider uncured belting :is' forced'into the channe1 by bending its marginal portions inwardly and feeding them'intothe channel in advance of the intermediate portiorr the belting therebetween. The marginal portions of the belting are thus bent inwardly by passing the belting over a roll disposedadjacent to the channel and having conical end portions tapering outwardly to greater.

diameter and cooperating with the side walls of the. channel and adapted to engage and bend the marginal portions or the belting inwardly and feed-them into the channel.

described in said patent, it is desirable that the belting shall be vulcanized under a condition of predetermined tension and for this purpose the uncured belting is stretched and tensioned, as by rolls 46' illustrated in Fig. 1 of the patent, and from thence it is passed over the above defined roll which bends the marginal portions and feeds them into the vulcanizing channel. It will be apparent that in passing around the roll the inargi-nalportions of the beltin which engage the relatively larger conical ends of the roll, are stretched to asubstantially greater length than is the intermediate portion of the belting and, furthermore, the belting is bowed both'longitudinally and transversely as it passesabout the roll. This action not only defeats the maintenance of uniformtension in the-belting but the severe flexing cfj the'belting in two directions while held under tension t'n'ds to cause relative shifting movement between the plies of the fabric and results inrthe formation of blisters and ply separation in the final'produc't. This is particularlylikely to'occur belts madewith syntheticcompounds in which the plies adhere strongly than in the case of natural rubber. I have discovered that this fault results from the passing of the belting througha :substantialarcu atepathof about 90 over the said roll. and wh'e'rein the lieltin'g'v deflected in two directionslcngi STRIP APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZ- MATERIAL Marcy, Newton Highlands, Mass,

Boston Woven Mass,

Hosedz Rubber Coma corporation of November 1c, 1944, Serial No. 563,671

. conical properly centered with the tudinally and transversely, and "a primary object of my invention resides in the production oi'an improved method and apparatuswhich will remedy the same.

A turther difficulty that'sometimes occurs in the procedure described in said v two edges of portions of the belting are not ado" 'quately' covered with rubber nor finished uni-'- formly. I have found that this defect in the product is due to the fact that the :roll with'its ends is insufiicient to keep the belting will havefinsuflicient stock and finish while the other edge will have'a surplus of stock and finish. Such result is particularly objectionable in conveyor belting which is especiallysubject todamage and. deterioration at the-edges thatmay strike and rub against conveyor structures and guiding In certain aspects my invention consists in a novel method and apparatus for eliminating this defect by holding the belting properly'centered at all times and'feeding itcentrally into the vulcanizing two-edges will be equally and uniformly covered and finished throughout the-entire lengthoi the product. a

"The improvementscomprising myinvention'reside in' method and apparatus for supporting the belting accurately centeredand passing it along a substantially straight path to the vulcanizing channel and simultaneously and progressively bending the belting in said straight path inwardly'toward and feeding them into the channel. The apparatus which I herein illustrate and may employ embodies two rolls, one roll having a cylindrical portion with end flanges condition andproperly centered into said straight path and the other roll path and having'conical end portions for engaging and bending the marginal edges of" the 'beltingin- I channel, the

contact of the latter roll with the belting being such'that it does not substantially distort the body portion "of the belting from said straight path. The production of an improved "method and-apparatus of this nature which substantially eliminates the objections and defects above recited andpermits the feeding of the uncured belting into the channel under uniform tension throughout its width comprises 'a :rurther'obiect of the invention.

The above and other features of 'theinvention willbe best understoodand appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus selected for purposes of -illus tration and shown in the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a machine embodying my invention,

Fig. 2-is a front elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

The vulcanizing machine illustrated in the drawing comprises a heavy metal frame embodying side members In bounded on three sides by a bottom wall and two In'the drawings I have illustrated the The open channel above described rovi es the bottom and two comn ished by crowdin into the channel uncured belting of a width greater than the width of the channel. The two ed es of the belting are first fed into the channel and the intermediate portion is thereafter crowded thereinto by engaging ing" uniform throughout. In accordance with the construction disclosed in said patent No. 2,179,443 the belting passes for about about and in contact with a roll 52 disposed adjacent to the channel and having conical end portions tapering outwardly to greater dimension and cooperating with the side walls of reasons hereinabove stated.

My improvement the molding channel and The roll 52 is disposed beneath the roll 62 and is substantially the same as the corresponding roll shown in the said patent. Mounted on this roll flanges 56 extending into the molding channel and respectively in contact with the side walls formed by the ring 20, and outwardly extending sleeve ment relative to the roll 52.

The channel formed by the roll 52 is in alignment with the channels in the roll 62 and the drum l2 and is arranged to engage the same face is engaged by the roll 62. The disposed relative to the said straight path that the conical surfaces 55 bend the marginal portions of the belting transversely or inwardly toward the molding channel and Without substantially distorting the body portion of the belting from said path. It will be appar, cut that the roll 52, including the two, conical elements 54, bows the belting transversely while the belting is in substantially fiat condition in said path and I have found that contact of the cient to cause the defects above discussed. l 1. 3

i w The use and operation of the improvementsem;

bodying my invention and theadvantagesi'gainedcontemplates the feeding ofthe belting along a substantially straight path to 55 facing each other,

arrears *are' 'believed' to 'be quite apparent. The uncured ingior the:likegcomprisingz-a"vulcanlzlngrcylinder b ing ll obe l treated is passed in taut "condlhavingea :channel extending continuously itheretion to "andcver the roll G2 and"iroin thence "along around andlbounded 'onthree-sides tby aibottom a" substantially straightpathto the"bite bsetween wall 'and side :walls, means foffeeding :beltlng the molding channel in the rum I 2 and the "5 a predetermined'point in the channel along :a tension band "-H asit leaves the-lower roll 15. substantially straight path disposed'between: said "At'an' intermediateportion of 'this' paththe beltpredetermined point-rand a location: spaced from ing is engaged by the M1152 which ben'ds the the-:channeL'azroller disposed parallel withand 'niarginal portions inwardly toward and "feeds adjacenttolthecylmder 'at'saidpathandhaw them'intothe molding-channel,theintermediate l ing an intermediate -portion for engaging :the portion of the roll permitting the-belting tobulge belting and end portions tapering outwardly to outwardly as illustrated in Fig. 3. The'belting greater diameter and coop with the Side thereupon passes into *the "bite formed between Walls r engaging h m r nal porti ns of th band"a,n'dt drum whereupon t belting-and bending them transversely whereby m n estheibulged'portion' of the 5 narrowing'the width of thevbeltlng and .feeding belting and forces it into straight "alignment Said r l p rtions transverselyand intothe'channel. 'The'beltingis being so located that it d es t's s a t a y thus "crowded'into" and completely fills'the-mordi ortthe bo y p r ion of :the belting from said ing channel, particularly t the side'wallspgfid straight path,"and a' tension rband'passingxaround th band thereuponbecomesthetopwallof the cylinder and forming a bite therewith, ithe the'mold completelyenclosi g the belting within d eing arranged to crowd the bulging ot. th h l, be1ting now Vin vulcanizmg tion of thebelting'into the channel fat and'for- Contact with the mold on bothfaces'and edges wardlyoisaid bite- 'andr rovide aclosingtop-wall passesth rough the vulcanizing'pathbeneathth for the'channeliduringzthepassage of the belting jacket is thoroughlyand"c mp1ete1 vu1 therewiththrough a predetermlned'vulcanizing canized. The finished belting 12 is somewhat bo said narrower than theuncuredbelting'lfl andits'edges tion being dispose at opp s te ds of said are equally and uniformly covered with rubber stmlghtpath;

and uniformlyfinishedthroughoutthe length of A'machme for Shapingand-'vulcanizingibeltt m mg or the'like, comprising avulcanizing "cylin- It is particularlyemphasized'that'in'accordance having a channel extending t n o sly the beltingqs at anzt mes therearound and'bounded on three sides by a botwith my improvements r h ld d f :.1 c t 11 during tomwall and slde' walls, a rollerdisposed parallel its passage to and into the molding channel and Withandspaced fromthe cylinder and having-a is bent only in one directiom'transversely, when l rti n in a i nment with but wider and ior the purpose of'iee'dingit 'mto suchbhannthe hanneland end flanges, theroller benel. -'Thus the resultingproduct'ls not'orllyullh ins ad pted to hold belting 'in alignment n'with tormly'treated 'throughoutitslength and width and directit to the 'channel along a' substantially but furthermore the internal "structure of the r t r y s r l r d sp s d para l l belting remains wholly intact since it has'not "40 th fi adjacent to't e y n er at sa d path, been distorted or destroyed "during the feeding nd having 'an'intermediate por i n'f en or treating operations thereon. It will be uni he belting and end p rt s p n 011tderstood that the belting is originally treated unw rdly to greater diameter and coop rat n W t der a considerable tension or condition of stretch the e w ll f r a in e m n l p r i ns and my improvements are particularly adapted f e belting and bending them inwardly to to handl th belting i such diti the channel whereby narrowing the width of the Having now disclosed my inve ti n what I belting and directing said marginal portions into claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patthe channel, the second roller being so located ent of the United States is: that it does not substantially distort the body porl. A machine for shaping and vulcanizing belttion of the belting from said straight path, and ing or the like, comprising a vulcanizing cylina tension band passing around the cylinder and der having a channel extending continuously forming a bite therewith, the band being artherearound and bounded on three sides by a ranged to crowd the bulging portion of the beltbottom wall and side walls, means for feeding ing into the channel at and forwardly of said belting to a predetermined po'nt in the channel bite and provide a closing top wall for the channel elting therewith along a substantially straight path disposed beduring the passage of the b tween said predetermined point and a location through a predetermined vulcanlzing path, the spaced from the channel, means located along first named roller and said bite being at opposite said path and cooperating with the side walls for ends of said straight path.

progressively feeding into the channel the two (so 4. A machine for shaping and vulcanizing beltedge portions of the belting while rotating the ing or the like, which comprises a vulcanizing cylcylinder and permitting the intermediate portion inder having a circumferential channel, a r 1 of the belting to bulge outwardly and without parallel with and spaced from said cylinder and substantially distorting the body portion of the so disposed as to form one end of a straight path belting from said straight path, and a tension 6 leading at the other end directly into said cirband passin a d th y n r a f r g a cumferent'lal channel along a tangent to said bite therewith, the band being arranged to crowd cylinder, the cylinder being rotatable to draw a t bulging portion of the belting into the chanstrip of belting to the roll along said path, and nel at and forwardly of said bite and provide a means disposed at an intermediate point along closing top wall for the channel during the passaid path for engaging and bending inwardly the sage of the belting therewith through 'a predeedges of the belt being fed along said path to termined vulcanizing path, said predetermined said channel. point and said location being disposed at oppo- 5. The method of feeding belting into a troughsite ends of said straight path. like channel formed in a rotating vulcanizing 2,. A machine for shaping and vulcanizing beltdrum, which, comprises passing the belting along 8 a substantially straight path tangent to the chan beltinginto thechannel and its edge portions outnel, progressively bending the marginal portions wardly into contact with" the side wall progresit is being fed into the channel, thereby narrowthe belting is fed into the channel. ing the width of the beltin sufilciently to feed 8. The method of feeding belting into a continits edge portions into the channel, and thereafter uous trough-like channel formed in a rotating nel. along a. substantially straight path tangent to 6. The method of feeding belting intoa troughthe channel, progressively bending the marginal like channel formed in 'a rotating vulcanizing portions of the belting. transversely by engaging drum, which comprises supporting the belting taut l5 the moving belting along said straight path benel, progressively bending the marginal portions tapering outwardly to greater diameter, thereby of the belting transversely following its passage narrowing the eifective Width of the belting sulfifrom said point and while moving it in said ciently to feed its edge portions into the channel, S r ht pathiasit is being fed into the channel, andthereafter crowding the intermediate portion thereby narrowing the efiective width of the beltof the belting into the channel and its edge poring sufiiciently to feed its edgeportions into the tionsoutwardly into contact with the side walls channel, and thereafter crowding the intermeprogressively and continuously by engaging a top 7. The method of feeding belting into a con- REFERENCES CITED tinuous troughlike channel formed in a rotating The following references are of record in the vulcanizing drum, which comprises passing the file of this patent: belting about a cylindrical roller and from thence 7 along a substantially straight path tangent to UNITED STATES PATENTS the channel, progressively bending the marginal 5 Number Name Date I portions of the belting inwardly toward the chan- 1,500,579 Midgley July 8' 1924 nel following its passage over the roller and while 2,358176 MacDonald Sept 12, 1944 moving the belting in said straight path, thereby 15 5 Baker May 23, 1939 narrowing the width of the belting sufilciently to 2,179,443 Bje er 7, 1939 feed its edge portions into the channel, and there- 2,179,444. Bierer 7, 1939 after crowding the intermediate portion of the 1,054,743 Cook Man 4 1913 

